Buckle



L. ECKER.

BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED Junk 21. 1915.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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LOUIS ECKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BUCKLE.

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Application filed June 21, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS ECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buckles, of which the following is a specificationa 'My invention relates to buckles for use in connection with bands or straps, as for example, straps such as are provided on garments, as for instance, vests, trousers and other garments, and garter straps, or the like.

One of my objects, generally stated, is to provide a novel, simple and inexpensive construction of buckle for holding a strap or band in different positions of adjustment.

Another object. is to provide a form of buckle which may be used with a strap fas-,

tened at its opposite ends and by which, by a single operation, the strap may be lengthened or shortened uniformly at opposite sides of the buckle, thus maintaining the buckle in centralized position on the strap; and another object is to provide a construction of buckle which, in addition to serving the above-stated objects, may also be used at the end of a strap or band for adjusting the latter, without requiring the sewing of the strap to the buckle, or the use of any fastening means other than those afforded by the buckle itself.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a broken view in elevation of the back portion of a waistcoat provided with strap and buckle means in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the buckle and strap. Fig. 3 is a similar enlarged view of the structure of Fig. 2, showing it in section and showing the relation of the strap to the prongs during the adjusting of the buckle to shorten the strap. Fig. 4 is a plan view of my improved buckle. Fig. 5 is a face view of the looped end of a garter showing it equipped with my improved buckle; and Fig. 6, an enlarged edge-view of the strap of Fig. 5 and a sectional view of the buckle.

My improved buckle, according to its preferred embodiment, is formed of metal stamped to the desired shape, though it may be otherwise formed or constructed of other material. In the form shown it is formed to provide four parallel slots 7, 8, 9, and 10 separated by the bars 11, 12, and 13, the bars 11 and 13 being outwardly oflset relative to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Serial No. 35,367.

the bar 12 and, the side and endsections of j the buckle, as represented. The end sections my improved buckle engaging the strap intermediate the ends of the latter. The strap 17 is threaded through the buckle to the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 8, before securing the strap in position on the vest, thus causing the strap to present a loop-section 20 at the rear side of the buckle, as represented, which represents the slack in the strap. In the normal position of the strap and buckle (Fig. 1), the prongs 16 penetrate the sections of the strap opposing them and hold the latter in position. When it is desired to shorten the strap, the operator grasps the buckle and by grasping the loopsection of the strap, draws the strap through the slots in the buckle, until the desired adjustment is effected, the strap sliding by the prongs 16, (Fig. 3), whereupon, upon releasing the grasp on the buckle the prongs become embedded in the strap to preserve the adjustment. Tolengthen the strap, the operator grasps the buckle at its ends between his fingers, pressing the strap away from the prongs 16, and draws the buckle away from the vest, the strap sliding through the slots in the buckle.

It will be noted that not only may the desired adjustment be quickly and positively made, and a neat appearance be presented by the fastening means composed of the strap and buckle, but the buckle maintains its position midway between the ends of the strap, inasmuch as the strap shortens equally at both sides of the buckle on adjusting the latter to shorten the strap.

In Figs. 5 and 6, I have illustrated my improved buckle as used in a different arrangement. In this case it is shown as applied to a garter-strap or band 21 such as commonly used in mens garters wherein one end of the band carries a hook and the other end is formed into an adjustable loop which carries the hose-engaging device and engages the said hook, the buckle serving as a means of adjusting the length of the strap. The end of the strap or band which is to form the loop-portion thereof, is introduced from the front side of the buckle through the slot 7 and is drawn over the prongs at the lower end of the buckle (Fig. 6) to cause these prongs to penetrate the strap; the strap is then. passed around the lower end bar 14 of the buckle, thence upwardly through the slot 7 from the rear of the buckle, thence across the front face of the bar 11 and through the slot 8, thence from the rear through the slot 9, across the front of the bar 13 and rearwardly through the slot 10, wherein the strap is engaged by the prongs 16 on the upper end bar 15, the portion of the strap between the bars 11 and 13 constituting the strap-loop 22 hereinbefore referred to. It will thus beseen that the end of the buckle furnishes means 7 in itself for securely fastening an end of the strap thereto, avoiding the necessity of sewing the strap to the buckle or employing fastening means therefor in addition to the buckle. Another advantage arising from the use of my improved buckle is that the tearing or ripping of the strap is prevented, a positive grip is effected, and danger of the buckle becoming disengaged from the strap is avoided.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto, as the same may be variously modified and altered without departing from'the spirit of my invention.

the other portion ofthe strap.

2. A'buckle containing slots in its ends spaced apart, with strap-gripping surfaces adjacent the far sides of said slots and ex V I '50 slots at relatively sharp anglesxrelatlve to e tending toward each other but slightly de-' 7 flected in a direction away from the plane of the buckle, other slots in said buckle intermediate said first-named slots the bars of the buckle separating said intermediate slots from the slots at the ends of the buckle being offset from the plane of the buckle in a direction opposite to that in which the said strap-gripping surfaces .are oflset, said strap-gripping surfaces and the opposite sides of said slots being closely adjacent to cause a strap threaded through 7 said slots to be deflected at saidslots at relatively sharp angles relative to the other por- 7 tion of the strap.

' LOUIS EOKER. In presence of JOSEPH A. SCHWARTZ, LUCILLE HIGGINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

' Washington, I). 0. 

